Pa. man gets life in prison for death of 9-year-old girl

YORK, Pa. (AP) — A man who fatally shot a 9-year-old central Pennsylvania girl as she played in the street on Mother’s Day 2009 will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The York Dispatch reports 20-year-old Nigel Ali Maitland was sentenced today to life plus 25 to 50 years in prison in the shooting death of Ciara Savage.

Maitland was convicted last month of first-degree murder and conspiracy for killing the Lancaster girl while firing at rival gang members outside a home in York. Savage was struck once in the back.

Maitland claimed he was in the area to drop off a friend and fired in self-defense after someone shot at him

Another man pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and a third had charges dropped after he agreed to testify against Maitland.